Something to Stand For
by katsuji74
Summary: Takashi Kitamura, nicknamed TK, is a G.I. - a Garage Inventor. When his friend and role-model, a police officer named Aiko, disappears one day, TK sets out on an adventure with three of his best friends to discover her fate. Set after the events of Big Hero 6, this story involves action, romance, and a little bit of comedy.
1. An Introduction to San Fransokyo

San Fransokyo, one of the biggest cities in the world, and one of the leading tech centers of the world, home of the legendary Big Hero 6. After the Yokai Incident in which the Krei Tech's headquarters were almost completely destroyed, a sudden surge in criminal activity forced San Fran's law enforcement to up their arsenal. But even then, they seemed to fall short. Some citizens began to try to fight crime themselves, donning vigilante-like identities. One such teenager, joined by three of his friends, is the hero of our story.


	2. Chapter 1: The Disappearance of Aiko

Takashi sat at his drafting table in his attic workshop of his home in Uptown, San Fransokyo with a sketching pencil poised over a blank piece of drafting paper. Takashi had a big problem on his hands.

He needed to come up with, and design, a successful invention or idea by the end of the week, three days away.

Only problem was, Takashi was having a massive creative block.

Takashi had been entered into a science exhibition held by the San Fransokyo Institute of Technology against his will by his best friends. Daisuke Himura, his friend and rival, was a prodigy in swarm robotics, having developed multiple prototypes that were being developed by big-name companies for both commercial and military use. Ito Fujioka was the personal transport guru, having successfully built and tested a prototype jet pack, rocket boots, autonomous car, and even an energy-efficient flying car. Kaede Nakahara was something of a military nut, what with being the daughter of a general and a police chief, and was pretty much assured a lead position in powered exoskeleton development for law enforcement and military application. She had also made a portable railgun that was pending a patent.

These amazing teenagers all were expecting something from Takashi. They not only expected Takashi to compete in the exhibition, but to compete against _them_. Takashi sat at his desk, wondering how in the world they expected him to beat them when he was a no-name G.I., or Garage Inventor. In fact, Takashi's mind wandered to the fact that he had somehow become best friends with some of the smartest people he'd ever heard of. He put the pencil down on the desk's tray, and stood up, stretching his neck out as he turned off the small lamp besides the desk. "Well, I'm not going to get anything done like this. Might as well go for a walk," he said to himself. He walked to the stairs opposite his drafting desk, flipping the lights off as he headed downstairs.

"Good morning, sweetheart!" his mother called, her stereotypical British accent bringing a smile to Takashi's face.

"Morning, mam," he said as he walked up to the counter that separated the dining room from the kitchen. His mom stood at the far wall, washing some dirty dishes from breakfast as Takashi grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl sitting on the counter. Takashi's mother, born an Emi Watanabe, had been living in the UK until she gave birth to Takashi. After which, she and her newborn baby moved to San Fransokyo, where Emi was hired by a local hospital as an ARNP. "When are you heading off for work?" he asked as he plucked a few grapes from the vine in the bowl.

"Oh, in a couple minutes. Just wanted to do some last minute cleaning before I left." Takashi's mother stacked the plates in the drying rack with practiced ease, and the sound reminded him that Takashi was supposed to take care of the dishes last night. He'd spent nearly three hours sitting in his workshop trying to come up with ideas, and Takashi grimaced.

"Oh... Sorry mam," he said sheepishly. His mother stopped and turned around, drying her hands on her apron.

"What for, sweetie?" she asked, a puzzled look on her face. Takashi gestured to the dishes awkwardly, and floundered for words.

"For, uh... not taking care of my chores last night," he finally managed. Emi smiled at her son and motioned him closer. She hugged him tightly, sighing happily as she did so.

"Oh, don't worry about that. You were busy with your science project, right? I'll forgive you this one time, okay?" she reassured him. Takashi, hugged his mother back, and stepped away.

"Thanks mom. I'll pay you back somehow. Hey, I gotta get running," he said, waving to his mom as he backed towards the door.

"Where are you going?" she asked worriedly. Takashi's next words eased his mother's anxiety.

"I'm just going to meet up with the gang. We're gonna go out to eat," he explained as he sat down on the bench next to the door. He pulled on his black boots, lacing the shoestrings in the Over/Under technique, something he'd preferred from a young age.

"Well, be safe," his mother called. Takashi shouted back a yeah before zipping out of the door, locking it behind him as he made his way down the street. A block or two down, he stopped at the entrance to an alleyway, the faint sounds of voices bouncing off of the old brick walls. Looking around to see if he was being watched intently, he quickly made his way into the dark alley, the sun's warmth disappearing from his skin, replaced by the cold shadows. It was around that time of the year when you could wear shorts in the sun, but in the shade you needed a jacket. As he made his way down the alley, he zipped up his black hoodie, shivering slightly as he threw up the hood.

"Never liked the cold," he said to himself, looking up longingly for the sun. As he did so, a brief movement caught his attention as it flitted across the gap between the buildings either side of Takashi. Wondering what it was, Takashi dismissed the unidentified object with a shake of the head. He was running a little late for the meet-up, so he'd better pick up the- when did he learn how to fly?

Takashi found himself floating almost level with the rooftop, held up by some invisible force as he yelped in surprise. He quickly tried to reach for the edge of the roof, but was short about a couple inches. "Wha- how- why-?!" he stuttered, curling into a ball in confusion. A young girl's laughter made him turn his head.

"What are you even doing with yourself, TK?" said the young girl. She looked to be about fourteen, wearing a pair of skinny jeans with the knees cut, revealing a pair of leggings underneath, and a similar hoodie to Takashi's, but sky blue in color. An oversized, white t-shirt stuck out from the half-zipped jacket, and she had short black hair that was shoulder-length on her right, and just below her ear on her left. And she was floating. "You just gonna gawk all day?" she asked jokingly, blowing a bubble and popping it as she did so. Takashi relaxed, but put on an irritated face.

"Ito, put me down!" he exclaimed, struggling to get free from whatever was gripping him.

"Hey!" she replied, "it's not me! Why don't you look in front of yourself?" she said, gesturing to Takashi's front. When he turned, Takashi found himself looking at a slightly older teen lying on his side in midair, his head held up by his elbow.

"Hello, little buddy." Takashi glared at his rival.

"Don't _call _me that, Daisuke!" he said, his voice getting heated. Daisuke put up his hands in a placating gesture as he seemed to fall upright, albeit staying in the same area.

"Hey now, calm down. You'll pop a blood vessel," he joked. From behind, Takashi heard Ito giggling at Daisuke's wit, making Takashi cross his arms with a _harumph!_

"Come on guys, stop teasing him." Takashi looked to the side to see Kaede standing on the rooftop. "Here," she said, offering him her hand. Takashi took it with an embarrassed face, causing Ito to burst into a fit of more giggles. Daisuke didn't notice Takashi's expression, but registered Kaede's presence.


End file.
